We carry a full line of new and refurbished batteries and chargers for all forklift and motive-power applications.

Steel-cased, lead-acid type batteries are avaialble in 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 volt models.

Chargers matched to your battery are avaialble in 120 to 600 volts, single and three phase input power.
 

Batteries & Chargers are very application specific

Call us at 956-223-4531 or send an e mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we can determine exactly what you need

New Batteries   Built-to-Order, All sizes available 100% Capacity (6-7 hours run time) Ideal for heavy, full-time applications 1800-2000 charge-cycle life 5 year factory warranty

Refurbished Batteries   Most common sizes available Tested to at least 85% capacity (4-5 hours run time) Ideal for light & medium duty, part-time applications Approx. 50% remaining life (900-1000 charge cycles) Up to two year warranty

Battery Document Downloads:

Industrial Battery Details & The Right Battery and Charger System for You

Industrial battery model numbers look like this:
 

18   -   85   -   17
Number of Cells - Amp-Hour Type - Plates per Cell

What does all that mean?

Number of Cells - Industrial batteries are built up from a number of 2.1 volt battery cells, so a 36 volt battery is really a collection of 18 cells with 2.1 volts each (so the battery is actually 37.8 volts). Likewise, a 24 volt battery has 12 cells and a 48 volt battery has 24 cells.

Amp-Hour Type - Basically, this is the electrical storage capacity of a pair of plates in the cell. Along with the number of plates per cell, this will tell us the total Amp-Hour capacity of the battery. It also tells us about the height of the battery. The most common types are -85- and -125-, and these tell us the battery is about 23" high or about 31" high. Of course there are more than just 2 sizes, but -85- and -125- will cover 95% of batteries.

Plates per Cell - This is the number of lead plates in each battery cell. The plates alternate between negative and postive, with an extra negative plate (the two end plates are both negative.) Along with the amp-hour type, the number of plates will let us calculate the total capacity of the battery, and it will help tell us the width of the battery.



What about Amp-Hours?

Amp-Hours is really just how much energy the battery can store. If a battery is rated at 100 amp-hours, it can deliver 100 amps for 1 hour, or 1 amp for 100 hours or 50 amps for 2 hours, and so on. The amp-hour rating of a battery has nothing to do with voltage, only amps (current) and time.

We can figure out the Amp-Hour capacity of an industrial battery from the model number:
 

( Amp-Hour Type ) x ( the number of Plate Pairs per Cell )

Remember there is odd number of plates per cell (an extra negative plate), so the number of Plate Pairs per Cell is 1/2 of the the total number of plates minus one

So, for our example battery model number above, the Amp-Hours per Cell is 85, and the number of Plate Pairs is one-half the total number of Plates per Cell minus (17-1=16 x 1/2) is 8. That gives us:
 

85 A-H Type x 8 Plate Pairs per Cell = 680 Amp-Hours

So what does this mean? Basicall, the more energy (higher Amp-Hour rating) your battery can store, the longer your forklift will run on a charge.



All of that is great, but what battery to you need?

The only battery that really matters is the one that fits your equipment. To find the right battery, we need to the get correct voltage and size. That will give us a model number.

Voltage is pretty easy, 24V, 36V or 48V for 95% of all forklifts. If you don't know your voltage, count the number of cells in your battery (count the number of vent caps where you add water, there is one per cell) and multiply by 2.

Size is simple the Length, Width and Height of your current battery or the battery compartment in your equipment. Measure to the outside of the steel case.

As a general rule, batteries are about 38" long (side-to-side in a forklift) and 23" high for sit-down forklifts and 31" high for stand-up lifts and pallet jacks. Of course there are exceptions, so a measurement of your battery or equipment is best. The biggest battery that will fit your machine is usally best, so if your current battery doesn't fill up the battery comparment, measure the maximum size that will fit.

We can also look up your battery based on the brand and model of your equipment, but most forklifts and other machines were built in many configurations, so a direct measurement is best.



Refurbished or New?

Refurbished - This starts with a battery that is 3-5 years old. It may have come from a lease return, from a company that closed down, or other sources. The battery is cleaned, fully charged, tested under load, any under-performing parts are replaced, the acid level and concentration is checked and equalized, the battery is tested again, and if it provides at least 85% of its rated capacity it is cleaned again, painted, cables and connectors attached and made available for sale.

These batteries can offer large savings over new batteries (especially in larger battery sizes), and are perfect for users who run their forklift less than full time. If you are using your forklift to unload a truck or twice a day, or move material through your shop for a few hours a day or week, a refurbished battery is perfect for you. You can expect 4-5 hours run time per charge from one of these batteries. You can expect a lifetime of about 900-1000 charger cycles.
All of our refurbished batteries come with our best in the business 2 year warranty. Lead time is normally 1 week.

New - These are brand new batteries, built to your specifications, delivering 100% capacity. If you are a heavy user, running your forklift all day, every day, this is the way to go. The price is higher than a refurbished battery of course, but you are investing in the complete life of the battery. You can expect 6-7 run time per charge and a lifetime of about 1500-1800 charge cycles.
Since these batteries are built to order, lead time is normally about 4 weeks.  All new batteries include a 5 year warranty.

Chargers

Your battery is not much good without a charger. While 120V chargers are available, you really need a 240V charger and the high current levels it can provide to adequately provide a balanced charge to your battery.
240V chargers are available for single and three phase input power, and should be hard wired into your electrical system.

A charger must be properly sized to not only the voltage of your battery, but also the amp-hour rating. A charger that is too small will not fully charge your battery, and a charger that is too big could overhear and damage your battery.
Give us a call for a wide selection of new and gently used chargers to match your current or new battery.

Contact us with your Battery & Charger Requirements